1. Field
Various features relate to an integrated device package that includes an electromagnetic (EM) passive device in an encapsulation layer, and an EM shield.
2. Background
Inductors that are located in integrated circuit (IC) packages are limited in their capabilities for supporting high current due to the limited real estate in IC packages. Specifically, since these inductors are located in the packaging substrate of IC packages, the size of these inductors is limited by the size of the packaging substrate of IC packages. As a result of the restricted space in the packaging substrate of IC packages, these inductors typically have a high resistance and a low quality (Q) factor. FIG. 1 conceptually illustrates a semiconductor device that includes an inductor. Specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates a die 100, a package substrate 102, a set of solder balls 104, a printed circuit board (PCB) 106, and an inductor 108. As shown in FIG. 1, the die 100 is coupled to the package substrate 102. The package substrate 102 is coupled to the PCB 106 through the set of solder balls 104. The inductor 108 is defined and located in the package substrate 102.
FIG. 1 also illustrates that some solder balls have been omitted/removed in a region near the inductor 108. This is because solder balls can affect/disrupt the performance of an inductor. More specifically, solder balls that are near an inductor can disrupt the magnetic flux of an inductor, resulting in a low inductance and low Q factor for the inductor, which is why solder balls are removed in a region near an inductor. However, removing solder balls between a package substrate and a PCB can affect the structural stability of the packaging substrate and the PCB. Thus, current IC design must weigh the benefit of removing solder balls (e.g., better inductance and Q factor inductor) versus the disadvantage of removing solder balls (e.g., less stable packaging substrate/PCB structure), when determining how many solder balls to use and where to put solder balls when coupling a die and packaging substrate to a PCB.
One major drawback of the integrated package shown in FIG. 1 is that it creates an integrated package with a form factor that may be too large for the needs of mobile computing devices. For example, the location of the inductor 108 may limit how small the integrated package can be. This may result in a package that is either too large and/or too thick. That is, the integrated package configuration shown in FIG. 1 may be too thick and/or have a surface area that is too large to meet the needs and/or requirements of mobile computing devices. However, the problem with putting the inductor 108 closer to the die 100 can result in the inductor 108 interfering with the circuit of the die 100.
Therefore, there is a need for an integrated package that includes an improved configuration for an electromagnetic passive device. Ideally, such an integrated device will have a better form factor, while at the same time meeting the needs and/or requirements of mobile computing devices. Moreover, such an improved configuration of the electromagnetic passive device would provide better integrated device performance (e.g., better signal, better channel, better electrical speed performance) without interfering with the circuit of an integrated device.